Tottenham have regressed massively on the pitch during Daniel Levy’s 24-year tenure at N17. The Lilywhites have prioritised commercial deals and financial gains, instead of silverware and major trophies under Levy. This has not only created a diversion with the fans, but many players have also questioned the club’s footballing ambitions of winning a significant major trophy.
The North London club finally managed to win their first trophy in 17 years after beating Manchester United in the Europa League final last month. The European success also ensured that Spurs would play Champions League football next season. This was all possible due to the strong belief that Ange Postecoglou had in his players and on his project.
The Australian tactician famously announced during the start of the season that he always won a trophy in his second season at a club. Not only did Big Ange manage to achieve that, but he also became only the third Spurs manager to win European silverware. And what did the ex-Celtic boss get in return after the historic result? A questionable sack.
Many fans and players thought that Ange Postecoglou had saved himself from the sack following the Europa League success. The Australian also announced during the trophy parade that ‘season three’ would be better than the previous two seasons. Little did the ex-Celtic boss know that Daniel Levy was planning to stab him in the back before giving Big Ange a chance to build on the historic result.
The buzz around N17 following the end of the trophy drought quickly diminished after Ange Postecoglou was harshly sacked by Daniel Levy. Now, reliable journalist Paul O’Keefe has given a huge update regarding Levy and Big Ange’s relationship that the fans might not be surprised about. Talking on the Last Word on Spurs podcast, O’Keefe said,
“Daniel Levy didn’t want Ange; it was Scott Munn’s pick. He had reservations putting Ange Postecoglou in charge of Tottenham. He felt he had to back his new guy (Munn) and his new regime. He wasn’t keen and had to be convinced, I think he’s probably thinking to himself, ‘I knew I was right all along’.”
While Daniel Levy might be thinking that he was right all along following Ange Postecoglou’s departure, it is fair to say that the fans might be thinking otherwise. How ironic is it that the one manager Levy did not want at N17 ended the club’s 17-year wait for a major trophy? At this point, fans can only hope that the Spurs chairman comes to his senses and prioritises the footballing decisions first, before commercialising the club even further.
Spurs are on the verge of hiring Thomas Frank as Ange Postecoglou’s replacement for next season and beyond. The first order of business for the Danish tactician will be to get the house back in order and get the players back on board quickly before the start of next season. The Lilywhites need to build on the Europa League success next year following a good end to last season.
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